Whisky : Cragganmore 12 Year, 2019 Special Release

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 58.4%

Cask : Refill American Oak

Age : 12 Years

Nose : Herbal sinus clearing smoke rises from the glass followed by lamp oil and camphor.  Overtime the smoke becomes more subtle and sweet as caramel and pastries come to the front.  Butterscotch, toffee, vanilla buttercream, Oreo cream filling— it’s a lot like a slightly burnt blondie bar.

Palate : Medium bodied with a lovely oily viscosity.  Big bold herbal and citrus notes kick things off.  Citrus oil and a bit of petrol come through as the profile settles.  Hints of tropical fruits, malty sugars, and a bit of salt.  Overtime nutty olive oil takes hold.

Finish :  Lingering sweet citrus with a mild oaky astringency.

Score : 6

Mental Image : Seaside Squirrel Olive Oil Merchant

Something Similar : Highland Park 18Y (similar herbal/oil & slight nuttiness, less intensity/finish)

Something Worse : Dewars White Label (similar herbal/pastry notes, less intense/complex)

Notes : Peated Cragganmore?  Probably the oddest duck among Diageo’s 2019 Special Releases.  I could not resist the chance to see how the fruity-salty Cragganmore malt married with a highland peat.  Adorned with a noble Barn Owl I absolutely love the packaging this year, even though bird focus proved divisive among those who preferred less stylized labelings.  

The Cragganmore malt married pretty well with the peat.  Bottled at cask strength there was enough oily viscosity and structure to the mouthfeel that I felt the dram just settle on my palate like a warm blanket.  The initial flavor burst of herbs and citrus cooled down beautifully, especially as the dram opened up to reveal a fruity-nutty olive oil.  While there was a good amount of char and caramelization on the nose, those notes fell into the background on the palate.  This was perfectly enjoyable— enough so that I really want to see how this does in other casks.  I suspect this is not the last we have seen of peated Cragganmore.